Forum Kreuzberg

 The project Spielplatz:Mensch! at Forum Kreuzberg is open to children and youths with and without a migration and refugee background aged 6-14 years in Kreuzberg, Berlin. This district continues to have a high rate of socially disadvantaged people: the percentage of unemployed, long-term unemployed, transfer recipients and child poverty is above average.

Through care, attention and quality time spent together the children taking part in the organisation’s activities are perceived and encouraged in their individual development. The project is supposed to give structure to their everyday life. The aim is to provide a place of inspiration where children are heartened to develop their creativity and craftsmanship in the framework of professional support and have a wide range of opportunities to develop their ideas further and foster their self-confidence. The intention is to provide young people with solid tools for their further life. Roughly 25 children take part in the activities per day.

The two-year project My World – My Future, which we as the Phoenix Foundation co-finance, runs since July 2020. In the first project phase from July to October 2020 topics such as garbage, environmental protection, nature, and living together in the city are addressed. Cameras are used to create a document of the kids’ environment, which then can be the starting point for a vision of the future. In a second project phase, November 2020 to April 2021, there will be space to further investigate these visions and make them come alive through film, construction projects, inventions and installations.  In addition to the existing workshops, new courses like recycling and upcycling, repair and energy technology will be offered. A third phase, May 2021 to June 2021, aims to prepare and realize a public exhibition of the works created.

The final year, July 2021 to June 2022, will be structured similarly to the previous year. However, the main focus will be nature. The children and young people will have the opportunity to become active in their own world, shaping their own future and taking responsibility. In individual and group work they will have a chance to organise activities revolving around animals, plants and society.  It’s about exploring how we can excert influence together and make a change in the world.

You can find further insights into this initiative on the project blog (German only unfortunately), which is supervised by the children and employees themselves.